Week 2 Comment on Pete's Blog Post

The answer to the question, how can we think outside the box we live in was illustrated by the “join all nine dots” example.  We truly “struggle” in our assumptions when we fail to invent.  We tend to limit our solutions to problems by drawing the square first, fencing in any hope of what’s possible.  The idea of inventing a new solution is so engaging, too.  In a recent initiative I’m involved in at our school district, I’ve been privileged to work with a team who’s culture is to “invent” solutions.  We do this by mapping our the problem, then innovating a new map, solutions included.  That’s one way we invent in order to gain more choices.

While measurements have their place (I would readily want to fly with a pilot who has passed his flight simulator tests), our thoughts and actions are affected by the assessments that surround us.  The need to survive is certainly at the core of this thinking, as the Zanders indicate.  Yet, the idea that is presented in chapter 2, that developing an attitude that life does not depend on achieving a certain mark, but values connecting with our goals (eg. people), we tend to think bigger and broader.  Here, thoughts and actions break through the constricting reflection of the measurement world and open up the “universe of possibility.”

I’m always for getting an “A.”  That said, I understand the concept behind the Zander’s experiment.  The letters received by the students after receiving the “A” and then being free to become more complete individuals made them better students.  The removal of the “measurement world” gave them unlimited possibilities to repair and modify their thinking in many areas (as indicated in the above letters).  As he concluded the chapter about his father, I related to this a lot in having a similar situation.  (The note falling out of the book that his father wrote him was particularly touching.)

To begin, asking yourself the question, “Will I be a contribution is essential.”  I’ve been challenged by this as I find myself on more and more committees in education.  I have to say that I connected something from the video and the book in this chapter and that was the reference in the video to the “bird who flies over the field and doesn’t care about the fences underneath.”  That’s how I seek to be a contribution.  I would rather fly over the challenges and boundaries in order to contribute something fresh and valuable to the discussion.  I run into many people who only look at the walls instead of fly up and get the 30,000 foot view.  So the combination of a willful decision to contribute along with a big picture approach help me to participate in the solution to a difficulty.

http://petemonth11.blogspot.com/

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Melinda said...

Hi Pete, I love your final paragraph where you state....you will fly over challenges..yes that is the attitude to have. I so believe that challenges are simply situations for us to solve. It is really exciting to hear both during Wimba and in your post about the work you are doing with the school district. The aspect that you are working with solution oriented people gives me hope that change will come to education.This was an interesting few chapters and you summarized them well.